This past week we commemorated the first anniversary of the horrific October 7th massacres. Many Jews gathered to grieve together. I mentioned to a group that I spoke to that in many ways it felt like 1946 when the Jews were just coming to grips with the Holocaust and knew they needed to commemorate what had happened, yet it still seemed surreal. Aish produced a documentary to mark the occasion, which was viewed by millions of Jews worldwide.
In New York, Aish rented out a theater at the AMC on 42nd Street in Manhattan and hosted hundreds of Jews for the screening. This seemed appropriate as the streets of NYC saw sickening protests that day against the Jewish people. I was honored to speak to the gathered crowd before the screening. I talked about the fact that Moses instructed the Jews that their greatest strength was the ability to stay standing after experiencing tragedy. That coupled with our capacity to glean and focus inspirational stories from within the devastation is why we have survived so many onslaughts.
After the screening, we had an amazing panel of prominent social media influencers. The panel was moderated by Rabbi Elliot Mathias and included Zach Sage Fox, Tanya Zukerbrot, Lizzy Savetsky, and Ari Ackerman. It was moving to hear Ari Ackerman, co-owner of the Florida Marlins, talk about how moved he was by Aish’s documentary. Each of the panelists gave great advice on how to fight for Israel in a digital world.
These four dedicated defenders of the Jewish Nation are running on Aish’s slate for the next World Zionist Congress elections under our newly formed party Aish Ha’am. You can find out more about the upcoming election and watch the documentary at oct7film.com.
As many of you do, in addition to checking the many news sites regarding the current circumstances that the Jewish people find ourselves in, I check X, formerly known as Twitter, daily. I find that I can get updates on Israel in a quicker and more raw format. As I was checking it the other day I noticed an amazing video. In the middle of one of the anti Israel marches a group of Chabad young men surrounded a young Jew in a keffiyah and while walking together they put Tefillin on this young man. Immediately this video set off a firestorm of discussion about whether it was right to put Tefillin on this individual who was clearly working to hurt the Jewish people.
It is unusual for me to comment so directly but something inside me forced me to defend these young Chabad heroes. I wrote:
“I think I would side with my @Lubavitch brothers in this case. We must never give up hope on any Jew no matter how far they have strayed. It is painful to see misguided Jews attack Israel. Yet we must still love them and guide them back towards the Almighty’s loving embrace.”
I have had so many people reach out to me after this tweet. Most thanked me, although a few people disagreed with my statement. In many ways, this statement represents my thinking over the last year. I don’t believe we will ever stem the worldwide flow of hate against the Jews. It is too vast and too ingrained in our enemies.
I do think we have an obligation to every Jew in the world to embrace and love them, even Jews who have been brainwashed into fighting against their own people. In so many ways our community has failed these Jews by not searching for them earlier and not educating them in the truth about Judaism and Israel. I believe these young men from Chabad looked at this Jew, and putting politics aside, understood that perhaps putting these Tefillin on him would start him on a journey back to normalcy and back to the Almighty.
My friends, we cannot write off any Jew. Period. Full stop. No matter how far they have strayed. So many of you have relatives that do not support our people. I know this because so many of you have shared your pain and anguish with me. It hurts to see Jews marching with those who celebrate Hitler and would like to continue his work. Yet, every Jew has a spark inside of them. That flicker can become a raging passionate fire if nurtured correctly. Let us all commit, as we enter into Yom Kippur, that we will continue to hold the door open for wayward Jews to return home.
